Grain-meter



(No Model.)

0. S. BBGGS.

GRAIN METER.

No. 450,213. Patented Apr. 14,1891.

svwcmfoz 315 @Hoznm UNITED STATES PATENT O Ercm CHARLES SINCLAIR BEGGS, OF ASHLAND, ILLINOIS.

GRAIN-METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,213, dated April 14, 1891.

Application filed December 29, 18th). Serial No. 376,123. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES SINCLAIR BEGGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ashland, in the county of Cass and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Meters; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referenee being had to the accompanying drawlugs, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in grain-meters; and it relates more particularly to that class of meters which are intended for use on the delivery-spouts of thrashers and elevators for the purpose of bagging grain, and which consist, essentially, in a hopper for the reception of the grain, which is provided with a movable shutter so arranged as to automatically change the direction of the flow of grain from the hopper from one to another of a series of buckets, which are alternately filled and emptied into a suitable receptacle provided for the purpose.

The invention has for its object to simplify and cheapen the construction of this class of devices and to provide a simple and accurate weighingapparatus of the character described, and providing a new and efficient means for adjusting the delivery from the buckets, so as to adapt it to varying rates of feed-supply and at the same time having the delivery flow of grain under perfect control.

Afurther and moreimmediate object of the present invention is to provide a meter of the character described in which the grain from the several buckets will be delivered at substantially the same point.

To the above ends and to such others as the invention may pertain the same consists in the peculiarities of construction, which will be hereinafter more particularly defined, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the entire device. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the buckets detached Reference being had to the drawings by letter, A designates the feed-box, which may be of any desired construction, capable of being attached to the delivery-spout of a thrasher, and contains the divided feed-spout B, made in the usual manner and having at its point of division a hinged shutter adapted to close either of the feed-spouts. Depending from the lower edges of the respective sides of the feed-box are the inverted-T-shaped castings (Z, which are provided at corresponding points on their long or vertical arms with bearings for the midway-pivoted balancearins D, at the opposite ends of which are suspended by bails the buckets C C. The

said buckets C C are by reason of their suspension from the ends of the balance-arms movable to and from the feed-box. Their bottoms slant downwardly and inwardly or toward each other, the buckets being, by this arrangement of their bottoms, adapted to deliver grain at substantially the same point through the sliding doors 0, situated on the inner sides of'the buckets and at their lower ends. These doors are held in by the metallic strips 0 and slide between the same and the edges of the bucket-sides. They are operated by the levers d situated on each side of the buckets, which are movably fulcrumed on the lower ends of the hanger (Z, respectively. The levers are pivoted at their inner ends to suitable points in the sides of the buckets and have depending from and pivoted'to their outer ends the rods (Z which are longitudinally slotted near their lower ends to receive the headed lugs c attached to the sides of the doors 0'. The arrangement provides for the upward movement or opening of the sliding doors simultaneously with the downward movement of their respective buckets by the movement of the lovers (Z One of the balance-beams D has attached to it and extending upward and at right angles thereto the two-pronged fork-arm D Playing between the prongs of the same is the roller g on the crank-arm G, which is pivoted in a casting secured to the upper edge of the feedbox on the same side as that on which the fork-arm is situated and secured to the rightangled scale-beam F at their mutual pivoted point.

The right-angled scale-beam is, as shown, composed of two arms at right angles to each ICO other, each suitably graduated and weighted, and is pivoted at the apex of the angle. The crank-arm G extends from this point outward on a line bisecting the angle formed by the two arms. Extending along the upper edge of the feed-box are two strips of such height that when either of the arms is horizontal, as one of them always is when the beam is at rest, the weight on that arm will just rest on the strip.

At the point of division of the feed-spout is hinged the shutter 12 the rod to which it is fastened passing through the sides of the box in which it has bearings and being secured at one end outside of the box shutter-arm a placed at substantially right angles to the shutter. On the opposite ends of this arm are pivoted the depending rods a, which are provided at' their lower ends with feet or other projections adapted to engage the edge of their respective buckets as they rise.

The operation of my meter is as follows: The grain flows through the feed-spout into whichever bucket is up at the time, and when a sufficient quantity has accumulated therein the downward pressure on the balance-arm pulling the fork over toward that side and pressing the same against the crank q serves to raise 'the lower scale-arm and attached weight. As soon as the lower weight has been raised a portion of the distance the upper weight overcomes it and produces an instantaneous change of position, which throws the fork-arm over, raises the other bucket, and closes the door of the same by the raising of the inner ends of the levers cl and lowering of their outer ends; to which the doors are hconnected. The opposite operation is gone through with by the other bucket, the door of which is opened by the downward movement of its bucket and the grain delivered to the receptacle provided. At the same time the foot of the rod 0. is struck by the ascending bucketand the shutter thrown over to the opposite side, thus throwing the stream of graininto thatbucket. When full, this bucket repeats the above operation.

The levers d are provided with a number of holes or slots,in which they may be ful- 1 er'um'ed for the purpose of adapting the movement of the shutters to varying speeds of grain supply and delivery, while at the same time always keeping the lower edge of the shutter slightly below the surface of the outpouring grain in order to control the stream and prevent the flying of loose particles.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automatic grain-meter, the combination, with a right-angled scale-beam pivoted at its apex and a forked lever, as described, provided at its lower end with a balance-arm at right angles to the body of the lever, of buckets suspended from the ends of the balancearm, and crank connection between the scalebeam and the lever, whereby the buckets will be alternately raised and lowered by the tilting of the scale-beam, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with theright-angled scale-beam pivoted at its apex, one or more balance-arms having leverandcrank connection with the scale-beam, of buckets suspended from the ends of the balance-arms, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the right-angled scale-beam pivoted at its apex, the fork, the balance-arm, the buckets connected therewith, and the feed-spout interposed between thescale-beam and the buckets, of the cran karm doors in the buckets, and lever connections, substantially as described, between the grain-spout and buckets, whereby the doors will be operated by the movement of the buckets.

' at. 'The combination, with the right-angled scale-beam, the feed-spout, the buckets, the forked-arm and connections between the said arm and the scale-beam, the balance-arm. at the lower end of the forked arm, the buckets suspended from the said arm, and the doorsin the buckets and connected with the feed-spout, as described, of a shutter within the spout and adapted to be tilted by the movement of the buckets, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES SINCLAIR Bnees. 

